During this special time of year with the absolutely beautiful flowers blooming and green leaves sprouting everywhere, many a day, a beautiful blue sky early-childhood teachers everywhere love to encourage their young students to engage in many art activities.

From tissue flowers to egg-carton caterpillars, the celebration of spring is celebrated in the hearts of a young child. Over in the modeling-clay center, a ball of modeling clay awaits the hands of a young child to mold it into a bird nest with little eggs inside the nest, a frog, snakes and other spring extravaganza of nature! 

Over in the artist’s corner, a fresh white sheet of paper is stretched out on an easel just waiting to be painted or drawn on by the hand of a young child.

We as parents, caregivers and teachers are like an artist that paints on the heart and life of a young child. Like a potter who molds and sculpts clay into many life-like shapes and masterpieces, we must remind ourselves that young children are moldable and bendable by the words we say to them. Young children need clear lines of rules and boundaries but yet they need words of encouragement to learn, grow and just believe and know how special they are.

It is so heart-warming to see a smile or twinkle in a young child’s eyes when they are praised or encouraged for just who they are and what they do! Take time to notice everything your child does even if the glue is still wet and heavy and they didn’t quite make the grade you had hoped for on that weekly spelling or math tests.

Praise them for who they are and how hard they tried. I have a little reminder on my desk that I have collected over the years of ways to praise children that I would like to share a few of these expressions with you.

They are:

Outstanding performance! Great, amazing effort! Wonderful! Marvelous! Excellent! You’re special! Very good! Super job! Good for you! Great answer! You’re doing a lot better! Thanks for being honest! How artistic! You’re amazing! You’re getting there! What a great idea! You deserve a hug! Thanks for trying! You’re getting better! You’re very talented!

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears regularly in The Bulletin.